President Zelenskyy meets President Trump in critical diplomacy The talks occur as the US is still carrying out peace talks with Russia and amid controversy over a proposed rare earth minerals agreement.
The encounter is the first meeting between the two leaders since the US started direct talks with the Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia, to date to a badly regressing Ukraine conflict. Trump spells out that negotiations are proceeding rapidly, while Zelenskyy insists that Ukraine is taken into the wagons of the peace process.
A major bone of contention is Washington’s plan to gain a share in Ukraine’s strategic rare earth minerals, critical to high-tech industries. Trump has framed the deal as a return for the near $66 billion in military aid it has sent to Kyiv. However, Zelenskyy had earlier rejected the first offer which he said lacked security guarantees for Ukraine. 
The talks can also decide the course of U.S. involvement in the conflict. Though Trump has berated Zelenskyy as a poor leader, Trump on Thursday took a softer tone, hailing Ukraine’s grit and resilience.
European leaders such as UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and French President, Emmanuel Macron have called on Trump not sign a deal that could be of benefit to Russia, not Ukraine. All of which keeps a keen interest trained on Washington as the high-stakes diplomacy is played out.
